Tractor-drive attachment.



P R HAWIHORNI: TRAGTORT DRIVE ATTACHMENT.

7 APPLICATION FILED MAR. 28. I917. 1,245,337. Patented Nov. 6, 1917.

2 SHEETS QHEETI PRHQwZ/zorne/ 1-. R. HAWTHORNE.

TTTTT HRH E ATTACHMENT APPLICANT}? fILEU MARTQB IQIY.

Patented Nov. 6, 1917.

2 SHEETS--SHEET 2.

IBIMM HAWTIiIOBNE, F SPOKANE, WASHINGiTON, ASSIGN'OR Tb BOSS E. GALLAGHER, OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Pauli! R. Hawrnonnn, a citizen of the United States,-and resident of Spokane, in the county "of Spokane and 6 State of WVashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tractor- Drive Attachments, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention has reference to motor vehicles and relates more particularly to an improved tractor drive attachment therefor.v

The dominant object of the invention is to provide a tractor drive for automobiles, \vherel'iy, the same can be readily converted into a tractor for heavy duty purposes with but slight alteration to the running gear of the. automobile. i

It is a morespecific ohject'of theinvention to provide a novel mode of' attachment for the tractor drive, the same including a multiple point connection, certain of which occur at the opposite ends of the automobile rear axle and another, in proximity of the center of the front axle thereof.

Another and equally important object of the invention is to attach to an automobile drive or rear axle, a drive wheel of the caterpillar type. 30

also an aim of the invention to provide-a variable driving medium for" the attachment, that is. one \Vlllltl'l may lien-hanged from one type oi driving element to another. L

Further, another important characteristic of the. invention resides in the provision of moans'l'or yicldalilv maintaining the caterpillar tread or track in engagement with the ground or other surface over which the motor vehicle. is t travel.

All ot the foregoing together with addi tional :ulvantageous details and arrange- 1 nts of parts of the preferred embodiments gray invention will heelear from the spe- 4; cifiodescription hcreinatter'contained, when read in connection with the accompanying dra wings l orniiogparts hereof, wherein said.-

embodiments of the invention a re i'llustri'ited For the purposoot facilitating a full understanding of the. presentimprovements.

To the drawiugsr l fi i'ui o 1 is a. side elevation of an automo lii c with my improved tractor drive attaeh nn-nt applied thereto, portions ofthc vehicle 65 being broken away;

Specification of Letters Patent.

in furtherance. of the above objects, it is.

Patented Nov. 6, 1917.

Application filed March 28, 1917. Serial No. 157,984.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary horizontal-section through the running gear thereof;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail in elevation of the tread of the caterpillar drive element;

Fig, 4 is a disassembled perspective of one of the tread or anti-skid elements;

Fig. 5 is a detail in side elevation of the drive attachment supporting. means; and

Fig; (l is a top plan thereof. 1 I

Referring now more specifically; to the drawings,,and in connection with which like reference characters will referto the same parts in the several views, I provide a plurality of divergentreach rods designated '1,

the forward extremities of which are se cured, preferably, centrally of the forward axle 2 of the. automobile through the medium of a suitable bracket carried thereby,- while? the rear extremities are reduced and have se cured thereto, by bolts, bearing arms 3, certain of the hearings being arranged about the rear or drive axle 4 of thevehicle While others thereof proect laterally tromrthe axle and serve as means for supporting the drive element. axle, which will he subsoqnentlydescribed. It may be here noted, that a pair of drive elements are employed and that further, that the construction of each 'is] identical as well as means for imparting driving motion thereto. Hence, in the description to follow, reference will be madetobnt one, it

being understood that such reference will su'liice for each construction. i 5 Ai secondary axle 5 for supporting the tractor drive element is arranged within the laterally extending hearings formed in' the arms 3 and has mounted" upon its opposite extremities drive wheels on'eof which-isshown and designated in its entirety by the numeral 6, the same having arrangedahoilt its peripheral surface a plurality of alined sprocket tecth 7. To the Web portion -ofthe-' wheel 6 the'rois formed anjn'tern'al gcarfia which gear is adapted to beincshed with mo-q tion imparting means arranged IIpQn the: drive axle 4. A disk likeshield' 9 having-a concentric opening is arranged upon the axle.

5 adjacent the inner side of the wheel 6 and obviously serves as a guard for the internal gear 9 and the motion imparting means. To;

secure the. .disk 9 in position, aset SPICWaOI.

like fastening devicemay he; andwpreferably is carried by the same and turned i-ntol engagement with an adjacent portion of: the said axlefir To that portion of tl e iixle xidj acent Wheel thereisj dirungcdf an tingle hearing zirm 10 having a bifurcated extremity provided with bcaringwollurs reccivahleyl pon said. axle. A bearing collar 11 is formed; upon the'forWa rd extremity, of the arm 10 I and. carriesv ipintle 12therein upon which an 'idIer 1,3 is nl'onnted; A secondpintlc 14 is arranged npon'thearmadjacent the point of bending end-is provided. with misecond An endless tread .16 is i i-ranged -;ihout the .wheel '6 and theicller's 1'31'and 11?, thus; eon-M stituting, thejof'dinai y caterpillar drivel.

The endless tread 1-6 compnises in plurality ofspa ;ced ,cnhles halving tfa versely dis rnnaement posed channeled bars? 17 I v fl hc 'gll h, he. medium. 9 ho "181 he at "hooked extremities, forn edv 1the1e9n, which therein. A

hooked eitre tes receive the su-ld 'cab s oriwa "in which'thek eniphe 'nl sn'jnfacesof;

the W eel (i'and-the idlers 1T3 and'lB'ma-y I travel, thus; v preventing undue la'teial -.dis-

' placement of-the said tread. By the pro-.:

vision the channeled bars an efficient anti-skid r'neh'ns isprovided whrebydom' gi'tuldinal "slipping'of the esi-terpillaf-dl r ng operation will be Jobviat'ed; The rehitive' spacing ofgthechanneledbers 1331's such as to aiford pockets for receiving the'spr ojcket,

ini-engagenientjyvith .t l e gi ound" on, other 6f j'd'l 'ive may be en the a'xle} 5 and m localities f vwhei'eiri the ch' irnctei? f teeth ,7 oping. Wheels theieb'etween, v v An expansible coile'd springlli) is seated upon a. portion ofv the anglearms lQlandh-ns beerings uiponxthe1collab, or heerin 3n mhgedaabontf ei :dni e; lei hus,;e,

' y (imparted! in h and 41 (sac-consequence, 31h

f the hooked)extremifiies giihg bolts 18i's such as to uif'ord an jlfiiQlglIli) guide wheels.

filllpioliffll, the same having its opposite ex? 1911s the means for yieldably maintaining the irl-lei-s 13 and in engagement Withthe surface o'vei'fi'vhicli the vehicle is to travel, the-usual design of leaf 'spri1ig- 21'1n aybe ti'cmi't'ies: hvzirinwndon )Ol'tlOllS of the an 1e vli'mn-in" nuns 10. and hein secured intermediate endsQlo the reach bars 1. 7 By the novel mounting of the secondary zaxlc it will be noted that the transmission.

of strain. or pnlltothe antomobile drive axle Wli-l be prevented during the operation thereofl Hence, ihobody or i'nnninghgcaroft-he nnto nobilejwill not be z fi'ectedby the heavy duty to which it is adaptedwhen he-v "i'ng' 'used with the tractor attachment. red "thereto "'Mnnifcstly,'the construction shown'is capa-ble of considei nble modification and such modification asis .within the scope of my '85 eli iin's, I consider. within the spirit of my ll'Tn iifftrnctor di iveiittnchinnt, th e c onibinati'on with n diiv'c axle of a "motor vehicle, of'a secondarynxlgdrive,wheels mounted on the extremities of the secondary axles, pivotal arms arranged on theextremities of the said secondai y axle and'carrying i'dlers,

ail-endless tread disposed about the Wheels and i dlers, resilient means engaged with-the bearing arms for: yiel'da'bly maintaining the idlersfin'engngementjwith n .s'u 1"fac e,- and gearing connecting the. drive axle and 2. 'In a ti'actor drive nttnch neht 'the combination with a vmot'or' dri-ven vehicle and the: forward and "driveaxles theiteof, of .rcuch bznrsengnged with-said, axles, hearing brackets" c111 1: ti eniities not: said [8210111 10118 secondary c 1 mmlnoted .injeu'ifd Des rin 'bes lets,.. driire' [elements onth'e opposite extremities ofv th'e J y. Ax e, mis ebeefin ms im: it v d fnpon' certain of the ex c secondary axle,v idlers .earried by-the d, the citterpil-la r dily removed from tractor may be successfully used oil of; eniileying thee eoiledf sp posedabout-the d1 dlci-s, andi-esilien'tmeans engaged with the angle z t-ins .Qfor noi ma-lly';inaintainingithe 'tl'emities (hereof idlers in yieldnhle contact with a surface.

3. In a trnetordrivei attachment, thG'COIIb ihination w i th;--a ,motor vehicle and the-"for- V wmd and drive-axlestheneof, of. divergent peach rods secured to said axles, benri'ng brackets cim-ied-"upo'n' ceitainvof the extr'einities of the-reach rods, a secondary axle I g! 1 lPQnf" h iitiem tie a I near man en'd less tread v elements and. said ni'olinted; in vsaid beatingbracket, driving- 1 axle, angle bearing arms pivotally arranged elements (in-the extremities of the secondary I 1 nlin rent the extremities of. said secondary j'.

,tles :ofJs'md angle: arms, endless treads. dis,

d-x'lveelements and the (ll-ens, spring'jineaihsengaged with 7' said-13o in mounted in the bearing brackets,

elements 011 the extremities of ondary axle,

angle arms for normallvmaintaining the idlers and treadin yieldable contact with a surface, andgearing connecting the drive axle and. drive elements. l l 4. In a tractor drive attachment, the combination with a motor vehicle and the forward and drive axles thereof, of divergent reach rods secured to said axles, bearin brackets secured to certain of the extrem1 ties of ,the reach rods, a secondar axle" wit said d i ing elements, pinions'mount' rivi'ng i said sec-. nt r al gears formed integral,

ed upon the extremitles of the drive axle and meshed with said internal gears, angle bearing arms pivotally mounted adjacent the extremities of said secondary axle, a pluraflity of idlers carried by the angle bearing arms, an endless tread disposed about the driving elements and the idlers, and spring means engaged with the angle bearing arms for maintaining the idlers a1'1dendless-.-tread in yieldable contact with 5 surface. In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature hereto. l

PRIMM R. HAWTHORNE. 

